Does Teeth Whitening Contribute to Increased Dental Sensitivity?

Teeth whitening is becoming increasingly popular as more people look for ways to attain beautiful smiles. The procedure is one of the most effective ways to brighten your smile and to remove dental staining.

Teeth whitening is available everywhere in London. You may get your teeth whitened at practices like Fresh Dental, which helps you get just the right tooth shade for a gleaming smile.

But does teeth whitening make your teeth more sensitive?

Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity typically refers to the sharp pain that radiates from the tooth after exposure to very cold or very hot foods and beverages. This can be a source of discomfort and may even cause a person to avoid cold or hot drinks. You may also feel pain if you brush your teeth too hard, or if you eat too many sweets.

Tooth sensitivity is usually caused by thin or damaged tooth enamel. Without strong enamel, the sensitive inner layer of your teeth, or dentin, is exposed. Whenever the teeth are exposed to sudden temperature changes, the nerves inside the dentin react. This is what causes the sharp, shooting pain that you end up feeling.

The reason behind this is that the whitening agents work on the enamel of the teeth. After all, this exact area is what becomes stained and discoloured in the first place. Since the enamel has to be bleached during the procedure, it often leads to increased sensitivity, especially to the cold.

However, the pain will likely subside after a few days as your enamel adjusts and remineralises. Brushing your teeth with a soft toothbrush and using fluoride-containing products may strengthen the enamel and minimise tooth sensitivity.